Austin has it. So does Seattle, Boston, and Minneapolis. And now Dallas has Sunrise Dallas to thank for adding free transit access for Dallas County students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
The student-led group has been working for more than a year to encourage local leaders with the city, Dallas ISD, and Dallas Area Rapid Transit to provide free rides for students. On Wednesday, they officially declared victory, just a month after the Dallas City Council approved an interlocal agreement with DART that will provide, among other things, the funding for the pilot program.
In June, the Council voted (albeit a little reluctantly) to the agreement with the transit agency, which gives the city a $90 million share (down from the initial $111 million it thought it would get but more than the $28 million DART later offered) of excess sales tax revenue collected by the transit…